Nord User Forum

[aheadinclouds]

Not sure if this started with 1.12 or before but I've been playing with headphones attached and sometimes when the machine powers up and/or when headphones are plugged in and out, the balance is about 90/10 towards the right. Usually a power cycle or unplugging/plugging the headphones in again fixes it - but then simply turning the machine off and back on will make it happen again which makes me think it's a hardware/firmware issue and not a headphone problem per se. Has anyone else seen strange behaviour like this?

The sound doesn't seem to matter. There are no pan settings being purposefully triggered. Etc.

[baekgaard]

This is more likely to be an issue with your headphone plug/cables/adapter. When you switch it on/off, there is bound to be some mechanical movement, which could impact the balance when the connection is marginal.

Are you using an adapter from jack to minijack? It so, try another one (but don't buy the cheapest ones). Or maybe your headphone cable is slightly faulty and needs to be replaced?

[aheadinclouds]

Thanks for the response and I agree that that would make sense but I'm using high-end studio headphones, gold contacts, the whole nine yards. I've tried multiple adapters as well and the problem occurs intermittently. Note the phones and adapters work fine in other equipment. All equipment is also plugged in through the same power conditioner. So there are very few variables that aren't the same. The headphone jack is tight in the NW2 so movement is nil once it's in there but I'm still experimenting to see what is going on.

Time will tell...

[baekgaard]

If you've tried multiple adapters and the problem is intermittently, it may be that some of them have the problem and others not... those adapters are frequently the culprit, it seems, if you start looking at threads around here on the forum It may also be a combination of the adapter and the receptor in the NW2, possibly some dust on one of the contacts or whatsnot? I think it's not likely to be a component failure nor a firmware/software issue in the NW2; for one, it would then NOT go away by plugging/unplugging the cable...

Also, even if you have a "more-expensive-than-a-Tesla" set of very-high-end goldphones, they still rely on a mechanical connection that is prone to these kinds of issues. Are the adapters you use of the same high standard (and note that even if some look like gold plated, they may not really be)? Also, in my experience, even if the cables themselves may be teflon coated and kevlar re-inforced, they eventually give up and could start to impact the sound if bent sharply or some such.

One issue I've had with a connecter was that it had not been properly cleaned at the factory. So even if all looked ok, and it would work when plugged in, it "scratched" when you rotated the cable in the receptor. This was caused by "fluss" or some other soldering related remains and disappeared after a proper cleaning.

Anyway, hope it goes away over time

[aheadinclouds]

Thanks for the ideas - I'll keep poking around...

[fieldflower]

Maybe a stupid question, but have seen it happen before...
Is both phones lead and adaptor of the 3-connector type for headphones meant strictly for listening?
Not the 4-connector version for headsets (i.e. microphone as well for talking and listening)?
When using a 4-connector plug in a 3-connector jack it's quite common to get bad connection for one side of the output sound, where the "sleeve" connection point may hit the plastic inbetween the "ring 2" and "sleeve" parts of the 4-connector plug.

All plugs and adaptors should be like this:


Not like this: